Aerospace & Defense

  • January 28, 2025

    Transgender Troops Challenge Trump's Military Ban

    A group of current and prospective transgender service members sued the Trump administration in D.C. federal court on Tuesday over an executive order barring transgender troops from serving in the military, saying the order is unconstitutional.

  • January 28, 2025

    Trump Wants 'Iron Dome' Missile Defense System For US

    President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Department of Defense to create an "Iron Dome" defense system to protect against ballistic missiles and other advanced aerial threats, saying those weapons pose the "most catastrophic threat" to the U.S.

  • January 28, 2025

    Calif. Panel Says Workers Can Be Added To $935K Wage Deal

    A California state appeals court declined to upend an order allowing the reopening of a $935,000 settlement that resolved workers' wage and hour lawsuit against an aerospace company, saying the employer failed to show that unionized employees were correctly exempted from the deal.

  • January 28, 2025

    Trump Bars Trans Service Members, DOD Diversity Initiatives

    President Donald Trump has issued executive orders eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the military, reinstating service members who refused COVID-19 vaccinations and barring service by openly transgender troops.

  • January 28, 2025

    Menendez Says Any Prison Time Should Wait For Appeal

    Former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez told a Manhattan federal judge ahead of his sentencing hearing Wednesday that any prison term should be delayed until after his appeal of his bribery conviction plays out, saying the Second Circuit could well rule in his favor.

  • January 28, 2025

    Judge Temporarily Halts Trump's Funding Freeze

    A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal spending that was set to go into effect at 5 p.m., as a group of nearly two dozen attorneys general filed a separate case challenging what they described as an illegal and potentially catastrophic move.

  • January 28, 2025

    DOD Raises Propulsion Program Contract Ceiling To $3.5B

    The U.S. Air Force modified two contracts previously awarded to GE Edison Works and Pratt & Whitney to develop engines intended to be used in its next-generation fighter jets, boosting the contract ceiling from $975 million to $3.5 billion.

  • January 28, 2025

    Trump Wants TikTok 'Bidding War' As Microsoft Enters Talks

    President Donald Trump said that Microsoft is in discussions to purchase TikTok, stressing that a bidding war would be a "good thing" because that's how to get "the best deal."

  • January 28, 2025

    Former FAA Chief Counsel Joins DLA Piper

    The Federal Aviation Administration's former chief counsel Marc Nichols has joined DLA Piper in Washington, D.C., as partner and co-chair of its transportation practice, the firm announced Tuesday.

  • January 27, 2025

    Calif. Rep Demands Explanation Of Military Assets At Border

    Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., on Friday demanded the Pentagon explain its use of military assets for immigration enforcement following President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration at the southern border, saying the diversion of such assets could set a "dangerous precedent."

  • January 27, 2025

    4th Circ. Says Servicemembers Law Doesn't Bar Arbitration

    The Fourth Circuit ruled Monday that the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, a federal law that grants financial protections to members of the U.S. armed forces, does not override mandatary arbitration agreements in lenders' contracts with military borrowers.

  • January 27, 2025

    VA To Nix $6.1M In Contracts Under Trump's DEI Order

    The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday that it has placed dozens of employees on paid leave and will cancel $6.1 million worth of contracts as part of efforts to root out diversity, equity and inclusion activities.

  • January 27, 2025

    General Atomics Asks Musk Team To Reform Arms Acquisitions

    General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.'s CEO published an open letter Monday to the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, urging leader Elon Musk to refine the defense acquisition processes to bolster global security, making it the second letter sent to the newly created agency by a defense contractor proposing suggestions on reducing bureaucracy.

  • January 27, 2025

    Buddhist Group Wants Army Corps Everglades Plan Blocked

    A Buddhist community asked a Florida federal court to block construction on an Everglades restoration water retention project, arguing its concerns that the project will make its adjacent religious retreat center unusable have fallen on deaf ears at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

  • January 27, 2025

    4 Things The Menendez Trial Judge Will Weigh At Sentencing

    When he sentences former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez on federal bribery and corruption charges Wednesday in New York federal court, U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein will weigh the politician's lifetime of public service against the stark evidence of his crimes.

  • January 27, 2025

    Ancora Seeks To Make US Steel 'Great Again' With New Board

    Ancora Holdings Group on Monday said it plans to make U.S. Steel "great again" by installing a new CEO and board at the company "committed to abandoning" the $14.9 billion proposed merger with Nippon Steel that was blocked by former President Joe Biden earlier this month. 

  • January 25, 2025

    Senate Confirms Kristi Noem To Lead DHS

    The Senate voted 59-34 on Saturday in a rare weekend session to confirm South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

  • January 24, 2025

    Musk Can't Yet Appeal Twitter Investors' Cert., 9th Circ. Says

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday rebuffed Elon Musk's request to immediately appeal a California federal judge's decision to certify a class of thousands of Twitter investors over claims the billionaire businessman fraudulently tweeted about the social media company's alleged bot problem to get out of his $44 billion acquisition.

  • January 24, 2025

    Senate Narrowly Confirms Hegseth To Lead DOD

    The U.S. Senate on Friday narrowly confirmed former Fox News pundit Pete Hegseth to lead the U.S. Department of Defense, ignoring concerns over his allegedly poor management experience and allegations of past abusive behavior.

  • January 24, 2025

    Trump's Invasion Theory, Prosecution Vow Break New Ground

    President Donald Trump's border closure accompanying a declared "invasion" of migrants, and threats to pursue criminal prosecution of officials in sanctuary localities, is likely to test novel legal theories in lawsuits expected to challenge the president's powers.

  • January 24, 2025

    Boeing Takes $1.7B Hit On Fixed-Price Defense Deals

    The Boeing Co. said it will take a further $1.7 billion hit on fixed-price space and defense programs that have already caused the company years of losses, citing issues such as increased production costs and disruptions from a recent strike.

  • January 24, 2025

    Protest Over '11th Hour' VA Bid Change Too Late, GAO Says

    A North Carolina company missed its window to challenge a late-night modification to a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs solicitation for groundskeeping services, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said, denying a protest over the company's exclusion from competition for the contract.

  • January 24, 2025

    Chemical Co. Says Insurer Owed Defense For Birth Defect Suit

    A chemical supplier said a Liberty Mutual unit unreasonably denied coverage for an underlying suit brought by workers at a Seattle-area Boeing facility who blame their son's birth defects on chemicals they were exposed to on the job, according to a suit removed to Washington federal court.

  • January 24, 2025

    DOJ Seeks End Of SpaceX Challenge To Immigrant Bias Case

    A Texas federal judge on Friday paused a SpaceX lawsuit challenging administrative proceedings against the aeronautics company over its refusal to hire refugees and asylees, after the U.S. Department of Justice said it was considering ways to resolve the case.

  • January 24, 2025

    Trial Delayed For Ailing Wife Of Former Sen. Menendez

    The bribery and corruption trial of Nadine Menendez, the wife of former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, was delayed from Feb. 5 to March 18 by a Manhattan federal judge Friday due to health issues following a cancer diagnosis.

Expert Analysis

  • 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

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    President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

  • How Trump 2.0 May Change Business In Latin America

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    Companies in Latin America should expect to face more trade restrictions, tighter economic sanctions and enhanced corruption risks, as the incoming administration shifts focus to certain non-U.S. actors, most notably China, says Matteson Ellis at Miller & Chevalier.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

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    Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • The OIG Report: Preparing For Oversight In 2025

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    Across sectors, Office of Inspector General work plans and challenge reports for 2025 provide a trove of information on the issues and industries that will likely be the focus of government oversight in the year to come, says Diana Shaw at Wiley.

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.

  • Opinion

    Aviation Watch: How Court Nixed Boeing Plea Deal Over DEI

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    A Texas federal court's rejection of the plea agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Boeing over the 737 Max aircraft gratuitously injected the court's views on diversity, equity and inclusion into a case that shouldn't have been a criminal matter in the first place, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • How To Manage During A Trade Dispute With USMCA Partners

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    Companies can try to minimize the potential impacts of future tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods, and uncertainty about future trade relations, by evaluating supply chains, considering how they may be modified, and engaging with the new administration over exemptions and the upcoming review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • What FARA Enforcement In 2024 Reveals For The Year Ahead

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    A number of developments, from indictments to legislation, shaped the Foreign Agents Registration Act enforcement landscape last year, and following the U.S. Department of Justice's recently released long-awaited proposed amendments to the law, 2025 shows no signs of slowing down, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley.

  • How New Fraud Enforcement Tool Affects Gov't Contractors

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    Government contractors will likely face greater scrutiny under the recently enacted Administrative False Claims Act, which broadens federal agencies' authority to pursue low-dollar fraud claims, but contractors may also find the act makes settlement of such claims easier to negotiate, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

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    Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Series

    Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.

  • An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

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    As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Adjustments, Preclusion, Waivers

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    Ken Kanzawa at Seyfarth examines three recent decisions from the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals that examine distinctions between requests for equitable adjustments and claims, forum selection and res judicata, and the waiver of penalties for expressly unallowable costs.

  • Series

    Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team

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    In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.

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